Antares Jersey in Adriafil Rap - Downloadable PDF

Antares Jersey in Adriafil Rap – Free Knitting Pattern for Children (Age 8)

The Antares Jersey is a classic children's pullover sweater designed for an age 8 sizing, worked in Adriafil Rap yarn. This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern produces a structured, textured jumper featuring a combination of knit stitch panels and bold ribbing sections, finished with a neat reverse stitch edging worked by crochet hook. The result is a durable, smart-looking everyday sweater with raglan sleeve shaping — a timeless construction method that creates a smooth, diagonal seam line from the underarm to the neckline, giving an excellent fit across the shoulders and chest.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a children's raglan pullover sweater — the Antares Jersey — sized for an 8-year-old. The garment is constructed in separate pieces: a back, a front (worked identically to the back), and two sleeves. The pieces are then seamed together to form the finished jumper. The design combines smooth stockinette-style knit stitch sections with wide K4/P4 rib stitch bands, giving the sweater both visual interest and natural stretch at key points.

Construction and Shaping Techniques

• Raglan shaping: Both the back and front feature classic raglan armhole shaping. After the body reaches 34 cm in total length, 4 stitches are bound off at each end, followed by decreases of 1 stitch every 2 rows, worked inside 3 stitches, repeated 23 times. This internal decrease placement keeps the raglan line tidy and defined.
• Sleeve shaping: The sleeves begin with a cast-on of 40 stitches and are worked with increases at each end after the ribbed cuff section is complete, gradually widening the sleeve toward the underarm before raglan shaping begins.
• Needle changes: The pattern uses a deliberate needle size change — smaller 4 mm needles for the lower body and cuff sections, switching to 4.5 mm needles for the main body panels. This technique naturally tightens the fabric at the hem and cuffs for a neater finish without requiring additional shaping.
• Finishing with crochet: A reverse stitch (described as working like double crochet from left to right, also known as crab stitch) is applied using a crochet hook size 3. This creates a firm, decorative twisted edging around the neckline or finishing edges, adding a polished, professional look to the completed garment.

Pattern Stitches Used

• Knit stitch: The primary fabric stitch used throughout the main body and sleeves, worked on both right and wrong sides to create a smooth, flat stockinette-style fabric.
• K4/P4 rib stitch: A wide, bold rib pattern alternating 4 knit stitches with 4 purl stitches. This is used as a transitional band on both the body (8 cm band) and the sleeves (6.5 cm band), providing stretch and texture between the lower hem and the upper body.
• Reverse stitch (crab stitch): A crochet finishing technique worked from left to right with a crochet hook, creating a twisted, rope-like edging used to neaten and decorate the garment's edges.

Gauge

The stated gauge for this pattern is 18 stitches and 23 rows over 10 x 10 cm, worked in knit stitch on 4.5 mm knitting needles. Achieving this gauge is important for the sweater to match the intended size 8 years dimensions, so knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Adriafil Rap in colour 14 — approximately 300 g required. Adriafil Rap is a DK weight yarn, making it suitable for a smooth, slightly structured fabric with good stitch definition, ideal for showcasing the K4/P4 rib texture.
• Knitting needles: